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Organization Readiness MANIFESTO
by David C. Schwartz & Claude Guidroz

Introduction:The shell game

At an early and delicate age, pre-k to k, most school environments provide a safe haven and a sense of order that children naturally respond to, both socially and academically. The structure of the work/play environment is regular, planned, and culturally matched to the child's needs. We can even say our children are organized at this point in their lives, from desk top, to cubby, to refrigerator display space at home. However, like the child at a magic show that looses track of a pea under the gyrating shells, something happens quickly and unexpectedly that throws even the most balanced child into disarray and a state of disorganization. Once here, real goods like homework or notes can easily get misplaced. The young child that lost the pea could easily dismiss it as magic and move on. However, the older child that lost their class work is more likely to develop a self-image handicap, linking the distressing experience with a negative self image as a learner. Once in this state, the child is more easily prone to loose or misplace other school work, arrive unprepared for class, be labeled “disorganized”, and develop feelings of disenfranchisement and anger. Unless something is done to change or prevent this from occurring, this mind set can lead the child to dislike school, cause suboptimal performance, and plague the child well into adulthood.

Who is minding the storms
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